Office of the Historian

89. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union1

Washington, October 2, 1957—4:13 p.m.

399. Your 634.2 Following, provided by New York City Police, may be used in whole or part at your discretion in reply to Foreign Ministry: Light picketing has taken place at 680 Park Avenue on weekends since Dec. 1956 and every evening from Sept. 19 to present. During picketing adequate detail of uniformed police has prevented disorder. Police use barricades to keep sidewalks clear of 7 foot land adjacent and parallel to building front. At all times two uniformed patrolmen are in vicinity of building and radio patrol cars assigned to precinct have standing instructions to give it special attention. Soviet UN Delegation has not reported interference or molestation of any kind since Dec. 1956 and occasional inquiries during 1957 by police have met response from Soviets of “no complaint”.

Suggest you point out as you did last year (Deptel 751 Dec. 20, 1956 and Embtel 1525 Dec. 22, 1956) that peaceful assembly and demonstrations are permitted under US laws; that New York Police have continued, as promised, to give special attention to 680 Park Avenue to prevent disorderly or improper acts and to ensure freedom of movement for persons entering or leaving building.

You may also wish to request specific instances of “hooligan acts” referred to by Fedorenko (reftel) and to ask if Soviet Government is insisting that all peaceful picketing be forbidden by US authorities.

[Page 243]

FYI: If Soviets publicize oral protest,Dept will issue press release along foregoing lines.

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 310.361/9–2657. Confidential. Signed for the Secretary by Henry P. Leverich, Deputy Director of the Office of Eastern European Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs. Repeated to USUN.↩
  2. Document 87.↩